


Remembrance of a Distant Memory

by MissMint



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Coffee shop! AU, Fluff, M/M, college student! Eren, vet! levi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2015-05-04
Packaged: 2018-03-29 01:48:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3877726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMint/pseuds/MissMint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren, a Literature major, is currently struggling with the boredom his actual studies give him. He also works in a little coffee shop where, one day, an eccentric character appears and makes him miss the feeling of being next to a certain someone. Who will this person be? </p><p> </p><p>|| *gasp* nobody knows!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remembrance of a Distant Memory

****

**Eren’s POV**

_“Levi! Levi, can you hear me?”_

_“E-Eren…”_

_“Levi, hold on, I’m going to lift you up. Can you stand?”_

_“Ugh! Eren…I can’t…”_

_“No, no, no, no. Levi you’re going to make it out alive. I promise you. Come on, up we go.”_

_“Eren…”_

_“Hey, Levi? Levi! Stay with me! Open your eyes! Levi!”_

_“E…ren...”_

_“Fuck! The titan is getting closer!”_

_“E…ren…stay with me…forever…”_

 

* * *

Everything started as always.

The brunet woke up at seven-ish, drowsy and a little bit more annoyed than what he wanted to show, certainly not prepared for another day of six continued and monotonous college lectures. More often than not he thought that maybe Literature major wasn’t cut for him and his tempestuous nature. Still, he hadn’t spared enough time to look for a way out. Too much effort for his lazy person. Instead, he peeled himself off the blankets that lay tangled around his ankles and walked sluggishly to the bath to take an energizing shower (that he later would have to complement with a big cup of steaming coffee) and get ready.

Breakfast was always a hassle for him since he had next to no appetite at those ungodly hours of the day. The solution always stayed at a half-assed munched toast with a poor excuse of butter on it and his precious caffeine shot. All of that before rushing out the door, barely remembering to grab his phone and car keys. At times like these he really appreciated the concern his parents had had to give him a car in his sixteens, even if that meant he had to drive around with a broken-down two-doored vehicle. Still, this meant he had thirty minutes more to spend doing nothing than if he had had to catch the bus. It’s not like he could afford anything more though, his job at the small but cozy café in the suburban part of the city only gave him much. Also, even if he shared a rundown flat with Armin and Mikasa, his best friend and sister in that order, he couldn’t actually save much since he had to pay for his tuition fees and keep a barely healthy life (which mainly consisted in him rushing up and down and only sitting down to eat a few takeout orders and hastily homemade meals). He definitely didn’t complain, almost every other college student he knew lived a similar life to his, but still Mikasa liked to remind him how much of a disordered routine he had. Ugh, Mikasa and her constant health nagging. She could say that since she lived far better than him, earning a fair amount of money with her consulting job at a martial arts dojo.

But enough of that. Having run to enter the car and sped off to college, Eren arrived at campus earlier than natural, giving him a whole twenty minutes to spare. Since he didn’t have anything to do he decided on parking and going on a quick walk around the many gardens that the campus offered. There were some people here and there as the sun started to peak through the back of the main building. Eren let himself think of nothing and kept walking without a clear path in mind. He was passing by a large oak when he looked up, having been all this time unconsciously staring at the ground, and noticed a man walking with an imposing stride in his direction. His eyes stayed on him as he got nearer and Eren realized that something in his mind started to shift. The gears started working and he felt as if something was off. He felt as if he knew that man. From where, he didn’t know, but the feeling was getting stronger as the man got closer. He had raven hair, parted in the middle and with a neatly trimmed undercut. His facial expression was harsh, almost a scowl, bags were visible under his eyes and his jaw appeared prominent and clearly marked. Even though his appearance was intimidating his height made Eren have to fight back a smile: he didn’t even reach his chin. While he kept ogling, suddenly, the raven halted in his steps and stopped. The brunet looked up at him in the eye and, by surprise, saw that he was already looking directly at him, a confused looked in his grey stormy eyes. They stood there, looking at each other.

_“What the fuck? Do I know him from somewhere?”_

Suddenly a deep husky voice said inside his head, startling him from his daze. What had that been? Had he imagined it? While Eren was fighting with his inner existential crisis the black-haired shook vehemently his head and stomped off, leaving a very confused Eren standing in the middle of the grass.

Not knowing how much time had passed since he had started wandering around campus, Eren looked at the time in his phone, noticing that class was going to start in five minutes and he still had a ten minute walk till the classroom. Pushing his thoughts about a certain raven man at the back of his mind Eren started running hoping that his still sleep-driven body could react with enough speed in order not to be late. He still wanted to get average marks even if he didn’t feel very enthusiastic with his studies’ choice.

 

* * *

 

“Ah, finally!”

“Dude, I thought I was gonna die!”

“Yeah, I’ll definitely need an injection of caffeine after this…”

Eren sighed before stretching and feeling his sore muscles ache from the sudden movement. The last two hours of class had been Classic Literature and although it made a really good lecture to draw to, it was torture. Still, Eren was happy he could share these two monstrously monotonous hours with Connie, the short cheerful bald guy who loved  getting into trouble (too much) and Reiner, the blond buff athlete. He got to know them thanks to this lesson in particular and ever since then he has never been more thankful for their company. It really seemed as if hell wasn’t that bad, after all.

After complaining a little bit more and cursing more than necessary, the three of them got up and walked to the cafeteria to get some food since they were done with classes for the day and they really needed some off-class chat. The campus had three different cafeterias which, to Eren’s opinion, was absolutely unnecessary, but still they served pretty decent food at a reasonable price so he couldn’t really complain.

While he was getting in line to get his all-in-it sandwich and his dosage of caffeine, Eren suddenly felt two small jittery hands wrap around his waist, almost making him throw the plate.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Eren shouted, exasperated, before trying to turn around to see who it was, even though he could make a wild guess and be almost 100% sure his hunch was correct.

“Hehehe” A high mischievous voice giggled from behind while Eren noticed the person shift to the opposite side to where he was turning.

“Hey!” The brunet tried to wiggle himself out of the strangely powerful hold but to no avail. There was another giggle and Eren tried now to turn to the other side. After some more disgruntled groans and curses coming from the now annoyed brunet and some chuckling from the other person, Eren finally stopped moving. Scared of breaking the plate he had been holding during all that moving, he put it on top of the ordering counter and proceeded to focus on the small hands that were grabbing him. Eren suddenly felt enlightened.

“Hey, I know it’s you, Armin! Please stop already!” The desperate plea came with another groan, Eren slumping his shoulders. There was still another giggle but just after that the hold lessened and the brunet could free himself.

“Oops! You got me!” As Eren had thought, Armin was standing there with a shit-eating grin that spread from one ear to another. The petite blond really liked pushing Eren’s buttons but the brunet didn’t really take it into heart. After all, they had known each other since middle school, it’s not like some little “prank” like this one would really make the brunet hate the other.

“Oh, come on, Armin! As if you could fool me.” Eren crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the blond.

“I have to disagree with that. You should have seen your face! I swear I got you for a moment there!” Armin started laughing, clutching at his sides. The brunet could only shrug it off and smile warmly at his friends’ reaction. Armin’s laugh had this weird effect on him that made Eren unable to keep being annoyed-slash-angry at him.

“Okay okay…You got me…but only because I’m still sleep-deprived!” As if to remark that last sentence the brunet sighed and slumped his shoulders even more.

“Right, right…” The blond added with a suspicious grin while wiping some of the tears that had accumulated in the corners of his eyes during his laughter attack. That definitely meant Armin had something in mind and it didn’t always mean good news. “But enough of that.  Ereen~ Remember that bet we made last week?~”

“Oh god no…” Eren groaned, bringing a hand to his face before sighing and rubbing his temple. Last week he and Armin had agreed that if the brunet bickered with Jean, an asshole from the French Literature class with whom Eren didn’t really get along with, the brunet would go with the blond to a biology conference. Well now, Eren would have loved to say he didn’t have to do so but the horse-faced, as he liked to call him since the first time they met, just had this special ability to get on his nerves that nobody else shared. They always managed to keep their interactions to simple yet aggressive conversations (if those could even be considered as such). “You know I hate that jerk!”

“Yeah but that’s no reason not to act like a civilized person, Eren.” Armin was now the one crossing his arms, a concerned frown in his boyish face. It was at these times that Eren was reminded of how mature the petite blonde was. Apart from the fact that his expression resembled his mother’s when she was about to scold him.

With a short sigh and a muffled groan the brunet shrugged, looking at the ground.

“Yeah yeah…look I’m sorry but you know I’m not the best at containing myself…” Eren added just above a whisper while fumbling with the fork placed on top of the awaiting plate.

“Okay, got it. But please, try to be nicer?” Armin bended slightly in Eren’s direction. “Please? For me?”

“Okay, sheesh! Just, let me get my sandwich and coffee and we’ll talk about that conference, ‘kay?” The brunet turned around, grabbing the plate. “Oh! And no more mentioning that French horse, ya hear me?” Ended Eren by shouting over his shoulder as the small blond was already strutting jolly to the table where Reiner, Connie and some others were seated.

“Yes yes, whatever you say!” Responded Armin with a snort resembling a laugh of some sorts.

“Why do I feel that this is not going to be the end of it?” Mumbled Eren to himself before turning his attention to the food and the steaming cup of coffee now presented in front of him.

This was going to be a long day.

 

* * *

  

After class came work. Although Eren didn’t really feel annoyed by it or unmotivated to go, it wasn’t the best way he wanted to spend his free time off college. Still, he had met pretty amazing people, like Marco and his cute freckles and his radiating smile and his cheerfulness and well, him. There was also Sasha, she loved eating and the brunet really thought she felt somewhat similar toward Connie (not that they would ever admit there was any attraction between them, nope). Finally, there was the tall Bertholdt and his endless fear of people. Well, Eren wasn’t really sure if his insecurities were only directed to that or mostly just everything. Every time the brunet saw Bertholdt he was slightly trembling or sweating (one of the main reasons why he got the job for accounting and not something related to dealing with the public). That didn’t change the fact that he had a heart as big as his stature.

Sweetie’s, as was the café called, was small but sold a wide range of pastries, beverages and types of bread. The local was situated at the suburban part of the city, between the intersection of Trost Street and Shiganshina Avenue, two of the most concurred streets in the whole city. It had a familiar, cozy warmth all around it thanks to the Victorian style it was built in. The walls were a soft cream that went along with the dark wooden flooring. Two of the four walls that surrounded the café where decorated by big windows that started at the floor and ended at ceiling’s height, letting the sun come in and warm the light interior. The main door was white and adorned with several porcelain embellishments which covered the thin layer of glass beneath it. A two-pieced blackboard was hung in the wall behind the counter, showing all of the food and beverages that the store offered. There were no pictures in the walls but the view from the windows covered for the lack of digital imagery.  Even though many people passed by in their scheduled days, most of the costumers were usuals who went there to disconnect from their monotonous routines. The atmosphere was certainly that of a big family.

Today Eren was working at the counter. The best part about this job, for him, was that he could chatter idly with the costumers whenever there wasn’t a huge waiting queue. As he waved goodbye to one of their usuals, a new costumer reached the counter. The person was wearing a huge toothy smile and their eyes were glistening behind a pair of enormous glasses. Their chocolate brown hair was tied in a messy ponytail that swished around with their jerky head movements.

“Hi! Hello! Good morning!”

“He-hello” Eren stuttered, taken aback by the sudden cheerfulness radiating from the costumer.

“Well, well, I’d like to order an espresso and a blueberry donut, sweetie!” The person laughed at that, as if it was the best joke of the world. Many people had commented on the local’s name, but never like that. Not that Eren was complaining, though.

“Ye-yeah, of course! Marco, an espresso!” At that, the person in front of the brunet tilted their head, their face showing interest.

“Marco? As in Marco Bodt?” That definitely took Eren aback. What did he have to say? Would it be weird if he called Marco over? Did they know each other? If so, what if the freckled boy didn’t really like this person? What if they had done something bad to Marco? Would it be rude if Eren didn’t say anything about him? The brunet kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish but before he could do anything embarrassing, Marco replied.

“Y-yes that’s me. May I kno-“ the boy appeared from behind the counter with the donut on a plate and stopped mid-sentence when seeing the costumer. “Prof. Hanji! What a surprise seeing you here!” The freckled boy smiled from ear to ear while leaving the pastry on top of the counter.

“Please just Hanji, Professor makes me seem too serious! But aside from that, what a cute place you have here, sweetie!” Hanji winked at him before chuckling. Marco blushed a bit at that but recomposed himself in no time and instead smiled even more brightly at them.

“Thank you very much! We have decorated it ourselves!” The costumer cocked their head at that, apparently surprised by the statement. That reaction wasn’t new to Eren since most of the costumers thought that the local had been bought in that state.

“Good taste, good taste.” Added Hanji. Marco nodded and thanked them again before going to prepare the espresso while Eren passed them the bill. When the freckled boy came back with the hot beverage in hand Hanji seemed to remember something, jumping a bit in their feet.

“Oh! That reminds me, are you going tomorrow to the biology conference?” And again that stupid conference. Was it the only “interesting” thing happening in campus in the next days? Eren definitely didn’t want to be reminded of the hours he’d have to spend in utter boredom the following afternoon instead of using them to play shooting videogames.

“Unfortunately I can’t go but I’ve heard Armin and Eren here are going to be there.”

“Oh, really? I don’t remember seeing you in chemistry, Eren.”

While Armin was a pure Biology student, Marco studied a mix between that and Chemistry, it was only expected of them to be going. Considering that, Eren realized that he certainly didn’t really have anything to do in that conference.

“Ye-eah, that’s because I’m a Literature major, I’m just going to accompany Armin” Replied Eren bashfully, scratching the back of his neck. Hanji grinned at that before clapping their hands together, startling both Marco and Eren.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll have fun there! After all, a friend of mine is going to be giving a speech and he might try to make it funny. He’ll even try more if he’s pissed, which, I have to say, happens almost all the time!” Hanji giggled before taking out their wallet. They paid their order and hastily grabbed the pastry and beverage which was dangerously in the verge of splashing their shirt. “His name is Levi, by the way. I’ll try and get you and Armin to meet him! Arrevoir, sweeties!” With that, the overexcited Hanji grinned one last time and turned around in the ball of their feet. They strided to the door before walking out to the already fading sun of the evening.

A while after, Eren remembered that name Hanji had mentioned: Levi. It felt familiar, close. He let all of those feelings sink in, digging deeper in his mind while searching for a clear memory. He recalled hearing others say it. Shout it. Hell, he even felt as if he himself had said it millions of times. But the brunet certainly didn’t know that man from anywhere so why was he feeling like this over his name?

Eren felt that he wouldn’t be getting anywhere with this direction of thought so he just shrugged it off and pushed it to the back of his mind. Now he had some work to do and some costumers to attend.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaaand here ends the first chapter of I-don't-know-how-many.  
> It's my first fanfic and I'm not a native speaker so sorry if there are a lot of spelling mistakes n-nU  
> Comments are appreciated and all of that stuff.  
> So yeah, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did while writing it!


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